Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Alleged Sleaze in NDDC: Board, MD lobby Jonathan against removal

Strong indications emerged on Friday that the top management members of the Niger Delta Development Commission had started lobbying President Goodluck Jonathan against the move to sack them over alleged financial misconduct.

SATURDAY PUNCH gathered that the NDDC Board, led by retired Air Vice-Marshal Larry Koinyan, and the Managing Director of the commission, Chibuzor Ugwuoha, were using highly influential officers in the Presidency to prevail on Jonathan not to dissolve the board and relieve Ugwuoha of his job.

The tension in the NDDC and the moves to lobby the Presidency followed the recommendation of the Presidential Probe Committee on the NDDC, headed by a former Head of Service, Mr. Steve Oronsaye. The committee’s recommendations had tilted against the board after it discovered discrepancies in the books of the commission.